The consumer defense organization UFC Que Choisir has decided to file a complaint for "
planned obsolescence
" against the video game console manufacturer Nintendo, accused by the association of putting on the market game controllers that fail very quickly, has she announced Tuesday.
Read also: The UFC-Que Choisir calls for better supervision of food advertising intended for children
“
The UFC-Que Choisir is filing a complaint with the public prosecutor today for planned obsolescence
,” she announced in a statement.
A dysfunction known for 3 years
The offense of planned obsolescence was created by the 2015 law on energy transition and green growth.
The penalties can be up to two years' imprisonment and a fine of 300,000 euros, or even 5% of annual turnover.
Que Choisir had already publicly denounced last year the fragility of certain Nintendo Switch console controllers, collecting numerous testimonials from consumers.
Last November, "
more than 5,000 consumers
" had thus come forward to the association "
in just 48 hours
" to "
denounce the same recurring failure
", called "
Joy-Con Drift
", indicated Que Choisir.
Last January, the general manager of Nintendo France contacted by Que Choisir had promised that Nintendo would repair the controllers without difficulty, "
even out of warranty
".
But, according to the association, the basic problems remain, and "
reports continued to flow to the association
" after this commitment.
"Since the
dysfunction has been known for 3 years, it is essential that the Japanese giant now follow a curative rather than a corrective scenario
", estimates the association.
Breakdowns less than a year after purchase
According to Que Choisir, the “
Joy-Con Drift
”
failure
results in “
unexpected phantom movements, which prevent consumers from using their game consoles properly
”.
According to the association, "
two causes are (more than likely) at the origin of the failure: premature wear of the printed circuits, and a lack of sealing which causes a worrying amount of debris and dust within the joystick
".
“
65% of consumer victims noted this failure less than a year after purchasing the controllers,
” says the association.
The breakdown appears “
whatever the profile or the age of the player, even when playing less than 5 hours per week.
25% of consumers even saw the failure occur within 6 months after purchase, despite the low usage of the console,
”she added.
According to the law, planned obsolescence is defined "
by all the techniques by which a marketer aims to deliberately reduce the lifespan of a product in order to increase its replacement rate
".
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